Details are still emerging and it’s clear that The Sims 5 (a.k.a. Project Rene) is in the early stages of development, but there’s already plenty of information to look into as we await a bigger reveal. So read on for everything we currently know about The Sims 5, including which platforms it will be releasing onto, how cross-save and multiplayer are expected to work, and more!
There is not currently a Sims 5 release date
All that we currently know about The Sims 5’s release window is that it’s a long way off. The game is still in the early stages of development, and it was judged to be at least a couple of years away when it was announced in October 2022. If I may use my knowledge of the franchise to speculate: I will publicly eat a hat if we see The Sims 5 released in 2023. I think 2025 feels possible at this point, though I suppose there’s a chance that they’ll try to hit late 2024 in order to coincide with the 10th anniversary of The Sims 4. But watch this space for more details as soon as I can get them to you!
What is Project Rene?
Project Rene is the working title of The Sims 5. The next generation Sims game is currently going by Project Rene, although this is clearly a working title that will, in all likelihood, be changed to The Sims 5 at some point, unless the team at EA/Maxis decide to mix things up and give it a non-cardinal subtitle instead. (The Sims Forever was teased at one point, but that might have been a joke.) In case you were wondering, Project Rene has gained its temporary name in honour of the “renaissance” or “rebirth” of The Sims franchise, which the developers hope this new game will mark. Basically, if you’re getting confused, rest assured that both “Project Rene” and “The Sims 5” refer to the same game, at least until we get news of an official launch title. It’s just that one is the formal working title, and the other is a best-guess fan title.
The Sims 5 platforms
Project Rene is being tested on PC and mobile in its early development phases, although exact platform details have yet to be confirmed. The Sims has always been a PC-first franchise, and from what we’ve seen so far of Project Rene, it seems that the fifth generation will be finding its home here too. The same interviews confirm that Project Rene is also being developed for mobile devices. Interestingly, The Sims 5 will be the first Sims game to feature crossplay between mobile and other platforms. You’ll be able to switch between playing the game on your phone or tablet, before picking up the same save on PC. There’s been no official word on a console release for The Sims 5 yet. The Sims 4 was the first generation of the franchise to be ported directly to then-current Xbox and PlayStation consoles, though, and has been in lockstep with the PC version ever since; so there’s a good chance that The Sims 5 will continue the trend.
The Sims 5 gameplay
Initial publicity around Project Rene has focussed exclusively on the game’s Build Mode capabilities. Architectural and interior design have been a popular feature of The Sims games since the very beginning, and we’ve learned a few things about how they’re shaping up in the next game. The main feature that’s been shown off so far is the Workshop. This is a brand-new tool to the franchise that will allow you to customise individual objects with a high degree of flexibility. Its features are set to include:
Colour wheel: Making its long-anticipated return to the franchise, having been absent since The Sims 3, the colour wheel will allow you to edit colours of objects with an exacting range of shades and tones, including RGB selections. Fabric/material swatches: Featuring a wide range of patterns, as well as the ability to change the shape of furniture by applying different materials. Independently movable clutter objects: Throw pillows on a couch can be moved and placed by the player, for instance. Resizable objects: Scale a single bed up to a double bed if you change your mind while creating it, for example.
The same demo footage also appears to confirm that the game will feature apartments. If so, this will be the first Sims game to include communal living spaces from the outset, as previous Sims base games limited you to separate housing. An update from the devs suggests that apartments may have a role to play in the game’s multiplayer mode. Early screenshots show individual apartments being selectable and editable, which marks a change from The Sims 3 and The Sims 4, where individual apartments were housed within shell buildings that the player couldn’t edit freely. Please be aware that, as this information is all taken from early development footage, there’s a good chance that some or all of these features will change considerably by the time The Sims 5 is out, and that their inclusion at all is not set in stone.
The Sims 5 cross-save on mobile
Given the system constraints of mobile devices, the developers have clarified that it’s likely the features on mobile will be more of a supplement to the full game, with a more limited range of features available. One possibility is that Create-A-Sim and Workshop will be accessible on mobile devices, but not the full Live and Build Modes.
The Sims 5 multiplayer
The Sims 5 will contain multiplayer elements. While multiplayer isn’t new to The Sims, this will be the first main-series base game to include multiplayer features from the outset. One of the possible activities in “social play” could be designing an apartment together, according to a recent update from the devs. They didn’t give more details, so it remains to be seen whether you and a friend could take control of Sim roommates and hang out with your characters in the game, or whether the idea is a more collaborative take on the build sharing from The Sims 4 Gallery. Furthermore, the developers are keen to emphasise that multiplayer activities in The Sims 5 will be strictly optional at all times, and that players who view the game as an escape and value their privacy will always have the ability to treat it as a single-player experience. The game is not an MMO, so your in-game spaces won’t be public, and you’ll need to invite friends in for a session if you want to play socially.
The Sims 5 developers
Project Rene is being developed by The Sims Studio, a subdivision of the series’ original developers Maxis. While individual developers seem to move pretty freely between teams, The Sims Studio has previously been credited with development work on The Sims 2 from 2007 onwards, as well as The Sims 3 and The Sims 4. Spin-offs developed by the studio include The Sims Stories trilogy, The Sims 2: Castaway for consoles, and four games from the MySims series. The game is being directed by Grant Rodiek, a senior developer on the series who has previously worked on The Sims 2, The Sims 3, and The Sims 4 in various production and design capacities. Given that they’ve published every Sims game to date, you’ll be unsurprised to learn that this project is also being published by Electronic Arts. The Sims 5 may be a long way away yet, but here at Rock Paper Shotgun we’ve got plenty to say about The Sims series, so be sure to take a look at our list of The Sims 4 cheat codes and guide to the best DLC for The Sims 4.
